Claims Your Co-op staff 'gave away' couple's cat to new home

Jade Fellows said she owned Murphy, a pedigree cat, for eight years before a poster went up on the windows at Your Co-op on Ambleside Drive asking for someone to rehome him. 

The poster is signed "The Co-op Team".

Mrs Fellows claims staff and customers at the Your Co-op branch - under Midcounties - began feeding Murphy which made him visit the store more frequently and come home less often.

A Midcounties Co-op spokesperson declined to comment.

However, Mrs Fellows vehemently denies claims made in the poster about Murphy including that she has "zero interest in him". 

The advert posted by Ambleside Co-op. (Image: Jade Fellows)She added that despite telling the store and customers to stop feeding him, they continued, and it had got to the point where Your Co-op began to look for a new home for Murphy.

Murphy has now apparently been rehomed.

"Your Co-op tried to say that we do not look after him," she said.

"Your Co-op came round a week ago with a letter saying he could no longer go into the store and said because we had done nothing about it, they would contact the RSPCA to get him rehomed.

Murphy as a kitten. (Image: Jade Fellows)"We then saw the advert and have not seen him since Wednesday (January 17).

"We just know that a lady has now taken him." 

She added that Murphy was an outdoor cat, and preventing him from going into places was hard.

"He was our baby," she added.

"Me and my husband have fertility issues, so he is like one of our children - it is heartbreaking."

HUGS: Murphy snuggling with one of his siblings. (Image: Jade Fellows)

The advert reads: "Unfortunately, our Co-op cat Murphy, loveable mascot and only occasionally grumpy, is looking to be rehomed. 

"We have spoken to the owners, and they expressed zero interest in him despite being told the store would be contacting the RSPCA."

Worcester News has seen video footage of a family friend of Mrs Fellows enquiring about the advert for the cat in the shop with a staff member confirming a woman had been to "pick it up" and the cat has been rehomed.

Cats are classed as property under the Theft Act 1968, which could constitute Murphy being stolen.

It will depend on whether Murphy was dishonestly obtained rather than being rehomed for safeguarding purposes.

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "On Sunday, January 21, we received a report of the theft of a cat on Ambleside Drive.  Enquiries are ongoing."